September 1998 Media Resources Meets Faculty's Increasing Classroom Technology Needs The recent renovation of Franklin Hall is among the latest changes for Media Resources, the ISS unit responsible for supplying many IU instructors with classroom technology. Media Resources provides a single point of contact for faculty wanting to use technology in the classroom by making available a range of portable equipment and multimedia display devices, training and support to faculty teaching in technology classrooms, and a large collection of videos and films. Services Offered by Media Resources Media and equipment for classroom use Training and support of classrooms with installed technology Computer display technology A library of 10,000 videos, films, and CD-ROMs Preview and Reference Consultation on use of multimedia technologies Franklin Hall 0009 855-8765 http://www.indiana.edu/~mediares issmedia@indiana.edu--media & equipment scheduling clastech@indiana.edu--technology classroom information The remodeling--in which walls, offices, and hallways were reconfigured--reflects Media Resources' commitment to making technology accessible to faculty, easy to use and to incorporate into classes. The new space "allows us to better serve faculty behind the scenes," explains Beverly Teach, Director of Media Resources and cochair of the Campus Classroom Committee. "Staff in scheduling, media equipment services, and classroom technology assistance are now located together in Franklin Hall 0009, which facilitates communication. We've become an even better one-stop counter." New preview facilities across the hall in 0001 make it easier for faculty to view videos they may want to use in class. In its function as a media library, Media Resources offers faculty a variety of materials unique among university holdings. The unit "dates from the '30s," says Ray Smith, Assistant Vice Chancellor in the Office of Academic Affairs and Director of Instructional Support Services; "Media Resources is one of the oldest such offices in the U.S." As a result, the Media Resources library contains a number of rare and hard-to-get films. It's not unusual for scholars to visit IU expressly to screen rare footage, much of which is stored in a climate-controlled facility on 17th Street. Media Resources shares a film archivist with the Main Library and the Kinsey Institute. One of Teach's long-term goals is to set up an archive for the unit's older films, in order to provide easier faculty access to these materials. Year-round, Media Resources adds videos to its collection of instructional titles, which are acquired based on faculty requests. The staff regularly reviews catalogs and new offerings in order to assist instructors in previewing and selecting titles. "We suggest likely titles based on what we know people have been using and on requests for topics not currently available in the collection," Teach says. In addition to the Telnet database, faculty can now use a new web-based catalog to search for and request titles. Both services are accessible from the Media Resources web site--http://www.indiana.edu/ ~mediares/catalog.html. Interested instructors can also contact Marsha Harsanyi (855-8065, harsanyi@indiana.edu) for assistance in identifying titles appropriate to their needs. Media Resources collaborates with other units on campus, including Electronics, the Physical Plant, the University Architect's Office, and University Information Technology Services, in the development of general purpose classrooms for effective use of instructional technology. In an academic year, Media Resources supports over 400 faculty teaching 550 courses to over 65,000 students in technology classrooms. Of the over 250 general purpose classrooms controlled by the Office of the Registrar, 47 have technology installed (at least a video/data projector; a VCR; a sound system; a laptop interface; and, in many cases, a computer). Media Resources now provides training and support for faculty teaching in 25 of these classrooms; when the unit first began supporting technology classrooms in 1994, it supported only 5. Faculty have been quick to take advantage of the technology classrooms. During the time that Media Resources has supported the rooms, staff have seen the number of classes scheduled in them increase. The technology is used daily; many technology classrooms are scheduled from morning to night. Media Resources' contribution to the ever-changing process of upgrading classroom technology extends beyond its support of technology classrooms. Teach's unit has permanently located televisions and VCRs in 132 smaller classrooms. Use of these units is heavy; if each is used 10 times a week (a conservative estimate), that represents at least 45,000 uses per year. Permanent installation of TVs has freed up time and personnel for other tasks. Putting TVs in classrooms, Teach points out, "dramatically increased the ease of using videos in classes"; faculty who teach in these rooms no longer have to reserve equipment and arrange delivery. In addition, "we got away from doing enormous amounts of TV/VCR deliveries. Now we can concentrate more on providing digital display." Media Resources also permanently locates at least one overhead transparency projector in each classroom. There are currently 280 overheads assigned to classrooms. The portable equipment provided by Media Resources is also in high demand. Last year faculty made over 2,000 requests for 35mm slide projectors and 1,750 requests for video projectors. Overall, portable equipment was used by more than 900 faculty in over 2,000 courses enrolling 60,000 students. "Already this year we have scheduled 650 requests for data projection--and it's only the first week of the semester." As the shift from portable TVs and VCRs suggests, the technological needs of the university change rapidly. The latest trend is toward faculty use of the Internet and other computer presentation software in instruction. Since Media Resources began circulating laptops and computer display technology four years ago, the use of computers for classroom instruction has quickly grown, mirroring the increasing popularity video enjoyed when it was introduced. In those four years technology use has burgeoned across campus. The number of departments using laptops and display devices increased from 30 to 44, with representation from the College and most of the Schools; the number of faculty using portable technology increased from 54 to 134; annual requests for Windows laptops increased from 3 to 639; annual requests for Mac PowerBooks increased from 31 to 264; and annual requests for computer projection devices increased from 380 to 1,060. "Already this year (98-99) we have scheduled 650 requests for data projection--and it is only the first week of the first semester!" Teach reports. As Smith points out, Teach is uniquely qualified for the demands of running Media Resources: keeping up with technological developments and requirements; providing consistent, reliable service; and maintaining a large media library. "Anyone who teaches or will teach on this campus should be pleased to know that Beverly cochairs the Campus Classroom Committee, which will determine the shape of our classrooms in years to come--no one knows as much about the campus classroom landscape or about our faculty's instructional technology needs."

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